Previewing Tulane’s hopefuls for 2023 NFL Draft

The season may be in the books for both college football and the NFL, and yet, offseason or not, the action never truly stops for either of the two. Next up on the schedule is the much-anticipated 2023 NFL Draft.

Tulane is expected to have mutliple names come off of the board during the next three days after completing a historic turnaround 2022 season that culminated in a thrilling 46-45 Cotton Bowl victory over the USC Trojans.

Here’s a look at who is expected to be drafted out of Uptown and where each of them could land.

RB Tyjae Spears

Hardly any player caught as much attention in the offseason as Spears did — that’s not surprising with how much he flew under the radar ahead of the season and how long it took him to get the credit he deserved at the national level as he impressed week in and week out for the 2022 season.

Despite some injury concerns that have lingered around his draft stock, Spears is the epitome of what a team is looking for in a versatile running back in the modern era of the NFL.

Spears finished out his final season as a member of the Green Wave with 1,581 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns on 229 carries. He also had 22 receptions for 256 yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns.

Potential landing spots that make sense for Spears include the Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks — but in reality with the versatility and ceiling he brings to the table, he could be a valuable piece for just about any NFL team.

Spears played a huge role in making Tulane’s offense multi-dimensional and difficult to stop in 2022’s storybook season, and he should be expected to help do the same for a new team in the next stage of his career.

LB Dorian Williams

Williams was no stranger to sitting atop the stat sheet defensively for Tulane in multiple games during the 2022 season and that is not without reason. Williams embodies aggression in his game with the way he flies around the field and contributes to the pass rush — Tulane led the nation in passing defense for several weeks last season and he certainly factored into that.

Williams concluded the 2022 season with 131 combined tackles (81 solo), seven passes defended, five sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions, playing against high level competition and stopping some of the nation’s best prospects, including Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn.

He projects as a Day 3 prospect and could reasonably be expected to find his NFL home with the New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, or a team looking for a potential steal in the later rounds who wants to bolster its linebacking corps.

LB Nick Anderson

Few college football players embodied the definition of “Team Captain” quite like Anderson did for Tulane. Rightfully highly praised for his intangibles, Anderson is a prime locker room figure who a strong degree of grit, explosiveness, agility and athleticism brings to the table.

The only thing he’s truly been knocked for in the pre-draft process is his frame at 5-foot-11 and 230 pounds, drawing concerns about his ability to get rid of blockers and have wide range in the open field. That didn’t stop him from being one of the team’s consistent leaders on the stat sheet, though, as Anderson ended out last season with 113 combined tackles (62 solo), four passes defended, two sacks and two forced fumbles.

While Anderson is mostly considered a fringe player — a prospect who could reasonably be expected to be selected in the later rounds but also wouldn’t be surprising to see as a priority undrafted free agent signing — he’s putowkr on film worthy of being drafted as possible steal.

One team that could be a fit for Anderson in the sixth or seventh round is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Interior linebacker is a secondary need for the team but with everything Anderson brings to the table, he is a player of high value available much later than he would be if he simply was a couple of inches taller and had a wider wingspan (things that haven’t caused him any issues to this point).

The New York Giants also have the word “LB” penciled in on their needs list and, as with some of the other cases, could go in the direction of addressing it outside of Day 3.

Regardless of where Anderson ends up, one thing is certain: the team that selects him lands a high-value pick who can be an immediate asset on special teams and they have the potential to fill a need with starting-level talent without having to take him off the board as highly as most of the players with this much upside are taken.

Other names to keep an eye on as potential surprises in the late rounds and in undrafted free agency after Round 7: TE Will Wallace, S Larry Brooks, TE Tyrick James, WR Shae Wyatt, WR Duece Watts, S Macon Clark andLT Joey Claybrook.